Horseshoe



Jan. 8, 1935. D. P. MAHONEY v HORSESHOE Filed Sept. 1, 1932 D Thar/IonaPatented Jan. 8, 1935 I I I Christchurch, New'Zealand nineteen September1, 1932, Serial No. 631,421

In New Zealand September 25, 1931 1 Claim. (Cl. 168-4) This inventionrelates to horse-shoes. In a preferred form of the invention, as shownAs hitherto made such shoes have been arin this figure the shoe 4 iscurved to follow the ranged to provide a tread or ground-contacting rimof the hoof in the usual manner around the surface, which simply followsthe rim of the hoof. toe and side portions to points approximately op- 5By the use of a shoe of this kind the whole of posite the forward end ofthe frog 3. At such 5 the weight and impact when striking the groundpoints the two sides of the shoe are curved inis thrown upon the wallsof the hoof, with the ward, as at 5, to converge or approach one an--result that when travelling on hard ground the other at a point asfiapproximately at the foranimal is apt to develop corns and othertroubles ward end of the frog and at which point comtending togive riseto lameness. mences a plate which is preferably triangular in 10 In thecase of a horse in the natural, or unplan to follow the lateral sides ofthe frog. 3 to shod, condition however it is found that the foot therear termination of the latter. meets the ground first at the rear orheel por- In the preferred form of the construction as tion where issituated the frog, which latter being here shown also the two sides ofthe shoe are of a resilient nature provides a cushioning effectcontinued from their said point of convergence 6 5 thus minimizing theshock. at the forward end of the frog to extend rear- It is the objectof the present invention therewardly diverging gradually as at 7 tofollow genfore to provide an improvement in horse-shoes erally the sidesof the frog to the rear end of whereby the animal will be enabled toutilize the the latter and to which diverging portions 7 a frog, thusavoiding the undesirable effect resultplate 8 or metal surface isattached to extend 20 ing from the use of shoes of the ordinary typetherebetween, as by riveting or welding it to as above explained. suchportions 7.

A further object of the invention also is to pro- The arrangement issuch that the said portions vide a shoe of novel and special formwhereby 7 of the shoe at which the plate 8 occurs, ex-

5 the rear terminals of the shoe will lie at such a tend flush with theother portions of such shoe position as to preclude the possibility ofsuch and thus provide the tread or surface by means portions of the shoebeing trodden upon by the of which such plate bears upon the ground.other feet of the animal or causing injury to the If desired also asshown in Fig. 3, the sides legs in cases where the animal has a highaction of the shoe, commencing from the points at of the feet. A shoeconstructed in accordance which they curve inward, may be curved forward30 with the present invention tends also to prevent for a suitabledistance towards the toe, as for a screwing or twisting of the feet uponthe ground example to points as 13, and then rearward again which is aptto lead to a bad leg action. to the point 6 at which they converge uponthe In carrying this object into effect according frog-plate, by whichconstruction the shoe is to the present invention, there is providedupon given a certain amount of toe-loading which is 35 the shoe a platearranged to underlie the frog desirable in some cases in order tocompensate and to aiford a bearing for the latter upon the for theweight of the frog-plate. ground. In all cases however, if so desired,the sides of In order that the nature of the invention and the shoe maybe curved inward at points nearer its construction may be clearlyunderstood, it the toe than those shown in the drawing, thus 40 will nowbe fully described and explained with causing the shoe to afford supportat the frog reference to the accompanying drawing, in and toe portion ofthe hoof only. which: In the case of standard shoes, the shoe and Fig. 1shows the underside of a hoof with a its frog-plate may be formed in onepiece, as for shoe embodying a preferred form of the present instance bystamping or drop-forging. 45 invention attached in place thereon, In allcases however the said plate will be ar- Fig. 2 shows in perspective ashoe similar in ranged so that its upper side will underlie and form tothat of Fig. 1 as viewed from the upper bear against the frog while theunderside of side, or side next to the hoof and illustrating a suchplate will be adapted to bear upon the construction employed in caseswhere the frog ground. 50 has become hollow or defective. In cases wherethe frog has become defective, Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating afurther or hollow, the said frog-plate will be provided at modification.its upper side with a pad of rubber 14 (Fig. 2)

In the representation as shown in Fig. 1, 1 is adapted to fit within thehollow and thus make the hoof, 2 are the bars and 3 is the frog. up thedeficiency. 55

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by the presentinvention the animal will be enabled by means of the frog-plate to makefull use of the frog without injury or wearing of the latter, while bythe incurved formation of the sides of the shoe to the part at which thefrog-plate is carried, the rear portions of such shoe willbe placed atsuch positions as to pre clude the possibility ot such portionsbeing'trodjden upon by the other feet of the animal or causing injury tothe legs.

Again the provision of the frog-plate at the rear of the shoe will givethe latter additional; grip upon the ground therehytendingto preventscrewing or twisting of the feet upon the'grou'ndQ as hereinbeforementioned.

A horse-shoe composed of a bar formed to extend around the underside ofthe hoof at the toe and for a desired distance around the sides thereofto points at which the portions of such bar are curved inward toconverge at a point approximating to the forward end of the frog andfront which such portions diverge to, follow approximately the lateralsides of the frog to the rear termination of the latter, and a relative-.ly thinner plate of triangular contour secured upon said rear divergingportions of the bar to provide on the rear upper side of the shoe a flatcontinuous, surface to underlie and receive the" pressurfe jof the frog.

DANIEL PATRICK MAHONEY.

